September 28, 2015
An autistic 4-year-old boy was left bloodied, beaten, and without three of his teeth at the hands of a man who was supposed to be watching over him, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said Monday.
According to authorities, the toddler, identified only as JN, was under the care of Nicholas Kernechel during the overnight hours of July 18 into July 19.
The boy's mother returned to the residence where they were staying and found the boy asleep on the floor of his room on top of dried blood with injuries that had received no treatment, the DA's office says.
The mother took the boy to the Upper Perkiomen Police Department where authorities say he had bloody gums, swollen lips, bruises on his face and three missing teeth - which the mother had in a plastic bag.
When questioned by authorities, JN identified Kernechel as the man who had abused him, and investigators say that the boy had received other injuries, such as bite mark bruises to his arm, dating back to April.
According to The Times Herald, the boy is autistic. The Herald also reports that Kernechel was the mother's boyfriend at the time and he was living at her East Greenville residence.
The relationship between Kernechel and the mother were not revealed by authorities.
Kernechel has been charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, endangering the welfare of a child and related offenses.
He was held on $100,000 bail and ordered to have no contact with the mother or the boy. A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 1.
